Weights for Weight Lifting Shoes and Sandals

ABSTRACT

Weights and weight holding devices with hardware that is designed to attach to corresponding parts on shoes or sandals. The hardware works quickly and easily with the net result being that the user can quickly and easily pick up and put down weights with their feet, change the amount of weight, and change weights from foot to foot enabling the user to easily move from one exercise to another, and there is no need to remove the shoes or sandals when performing other exercises or walking.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Provisional Application forPatent No. 61/400,463 for Weight Lifting Sandals and Their Weights filedon Jul. 27, 2010 by Thomas Jay Zeek.

This application claims inventions shown in Provisional Application forPatent No. 61/191,171 filed on Sep. 4, 2008 for “Weight lifting shoesand their weights” and shown again in Regular patent application Ser.No. 12/583,854 for “Weight Lifting Shoes” filed on Aug. 26, 2009 filedby Thomas Jay Zeek.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention pertains to weight lifting, specifically to weights andweight holding devices that work with a pair of shoes or sandals thatenable the user to easily pick up and put down the weights with theirfeet and to change weights quickly to improve the quality and number ofexercises that a person can do with their legs, and the shoes or sandalsdo not interfere with the user's ability to walk or to do otherexercises.

While exercises for the upper body have always been easy to do andplentiful, exercises for the legs have been fewer and much moredifficult to coordinate. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is thesimple ability of a person to pick up and put down weights with theirhands, while no such ability exists for leg exercises.

This problem is normally addressed by the use of large expensive weightlifting machines. Machines called leg curl and leg extension machinestake up a lot of room in the user's house and are only good for a coupleof exercises. Other weight lifting machines such as donkey kick machinesare more expensive and for most people require a gym membership.

Many devices have been invented for attaching weights to the user'sankles or feet to increase the number of exercises that can be done.Weighted shoes have been invented which don't hurt the ankles like ankleweights do but they make changing and removing weights difficult, andthey hamper walking and other exercises because they remain heavy. U.S.Pat. Nos. 3,517,928 to Shanahan; 3,785,646 to Ruskin; and 6,052,924 toSabat are examples of such shoes. Methods of adding weights to normalshoes include weights that tie into shoelaces U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,709 toWalsh and a sort of sock that fits over the shoe U.S. Pat. No. 5,728,032to Glass. In both of those inventions changing weights is time consumingand difficult. All of these inventions are hampered by the limitedamount of weight they can employ.

Closer to the mark have been devices that attach to shoes and which inturn receive various amounts of weight. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,114,790 toVenables; 2,849,237 to Simithis; 3,343,836 to James; and 6,196,950 toEmick are all examples of such devices. All of these devices areexcellent while the user is actually doing the exercise. They allaccommodate heavy weight and in one case the ease of changing weightsrivals my own invention, but all have the same drawbacks, namely thatthey interfere with walking and doing other exercises.

U.S. Pat. Noa. 2,114,790 and 3,343,836 mentioned above both use a verythick sole plate through which a dumbbell passes to add weight. Thethickness of the sole plates makes walking awkward and makes otherexercises awkward and dangerous as the user could easily “fall off theirheels.” They would have to be removed when the user is switching betweenupper body and lower body exercises. U.S. Pat. No. 2,849,237 uses athick sole plate as the actual weight and carries with it the sameproblems as above. U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,950 uses a thin sole plate butchanging weights requires the user to fumble with individual weightplates instead of trading out the entire weight or weight holdingdevice. The sole plate is very rigid and flat and not at all conduciveto walking.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,927 to Catanzano describes a similar device in whichthe sole plate is made up of a plurality of weights which can be thinbut it is rigid and still awkward and is limited in the amount of weightit can incorporate. U.S. Pat. No. 2,214,052 to Good refers to anexercising boot “preferably made by casting suitable metal in a shapingform or mold.” It is intended to be worn in place of shoes and not overshoes and therefore will be difficult to fit properly. Its rigid designagain makes walking and other exercises difficult and dangerous.

The only invention heretofore that is suitable for heavy weights, allowsquick and easy changing of weights, and considers the user's ability towalk and to perform other exercises as well as the user's safety is U.S.Pat. No. 757,983 to Vaile, which discloses a shoe of substantiallynormal fit and construction with some parts added to accommodate theaddition and quick removal of weights, even heavy weights, although notas heavy as the weights in the system claimed herein. The mostly normalconstruction of Vaile's shoe provides comfort, safety, and conveniencebecause it can be worn throughout the user's workout and walking andperforming other exercises is still possible, and it provides a soliddependable base for a person who is standing on one foot whileexercising with the other foot.

Vaile's shoe however still carries with it some drawbacks that need tobe addressed.

The first drawback of Vaile's invention is that the structural supportfor the parts that attach to weights comes in the form of a steel toesection in the front of the shoe. This steel toe completely eliminatesall flexibility in the shoe from the ball of the foot forward, whichinterferes with the ability of the user to bend his or her toes back aswould be necessary to for instance run on a treadmill or perform anyother exercise that involves standing on the toes of either foot.

A worse drawback of Vaile's steel toe design is that it prevents theuser from pushing their toes down, which may be necessary to keep fromfalling over forward when the user is lifting heavy weights with theirupper body, or doing squats with a barbell on their shoulders.

Vaile's design also has the drawback of having the weight over the toesof the user's foot. This weight forward design forces the user toexercise their ankle and lower leg muscles and upper leg muscles at thesame time. During lateral leg raises for instance the weight will put atwisting force on the user's ankle. Being forced to exercise too manymuscles at the same time reduces the effectiveness on the target musclesbecause the user will get tired before the target muscles have beenfully worked.

Consequently there remains a need for, and it is the object of thecurrent invention to provide a means for a person to quickly and easilypick up and put down heavy weights with their feet that is supremelysafe, that does not hurt, does not hamper walking or other exercises,and that allows the user to switch back and forth unimpeded betweenupper and lower body exercises.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is weights and weight holding devices having abasically flat upper surface for receiving the bottom of shoes orsandals and having hardware added to them for attaching to correspondinghardware on the shoes or sandals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cast iron weight 12 with hardware to attach to shoes orsandals, and threaded holes 18 and weight bars 20 to accept additionalweight.

FIG. 2 shows the cast iron weight 12 of FIG. 1 with weight bars 20attached and ordinary barbell weights 68 added.

FIG. 3 shows the cast iron weight 12 of FIG. 1 with two more cast ironweights 24 & 26 that can be added to it.

FIG. 4 shows the cast iron weights of FIG. 3 held together with theweight bars 20.

FIG. 5 is a weight holding device 34 a with hardware to attach to shoesor sandals.

FIG. 6 shows the weight holding device 34 a of FIG. 5 with ordinarybarbell weights added.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a weight holding device 34 b that has lockingpliers type clamps 36 to attach shoes or sandals.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the weight holding device 34 b with the clamps36 open.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the weight holding device 34 b with the clamps36 closed.

FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of the threaded rod 44 and plunger42 of the locking clamp 36 and the hole 48 that the smooth post 50 goesinto.

FIGS. 11A-B are a perspective view and end view of a weight holdingdevice 34 c with hardware to attach to pegs 59 shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a shoe 60 c which has pegs 59 for usewith the weight holding device 34 c shown in FIGS. 11A-B.

FIGS. 13A-B are a perspective and top view of a tab assembly 90 that canbe embedded in the sole of a shoe or sandal so that the shoe or sandalwill work with the weights of this invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a short sandal 61 for use with weightsand weight holding devices of this invention.

FIGS. 15A-B are a front & perspective view of a shoe 60 a for use withweights and weight holding devices of this invention.

FIGS. 16A-B show weight holding devices of this invention correctlyattached to sandals 62 which are strapped to a user's shod foot.

FIG. 17 shows a weight holding device of this invention correctlyattached to a shoe 60 a which is being worn by the user.

FIGS. 18A-C show a person doing various exercises with weight holdingdevices of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in FIGS. 1-4.

The weight 12 is a 101 b. piece of cast iron and it has threaded posts14 with wing nuts 16 to attach it to corresponding hardware on a shoe orsandal, and it has a flat upper surface for accepting the bottom of theshoe or sandal. It can also be made of plastic filled with concrete orany other suitable material. Weights of this kind can be anywhere from 2to 100 lbs or more.

The threaded posts 14 are designed to be accepted by slots 94 in tabs96R & 96L that protrude from the sides of weight lifting shoes or weightlifting sandals such as those shown in FIGS. 14 and 15A-B. The wing nuts16 should then be twisted down into concavities 92 in those tabs so thatthe shoe or sandal and hence the user's foot will be secured to theweight. FIGS. 16A-B, FIG. 17, and FIGS. 18A-C show weight liftingsandals and shoes correctly attached to a weight holding device 34 athat uses the same threaded posts 14 and wing nuts 16 as the weight 12in FIGS. 1-4.

With the weights attached to the weight lifting shoes or weight liftingsandals the user is able to do several different weight liftingexercises including donkey kicks, leg curls, leg extensions, lateral legraises and several others. FIGS. 18A-C show some of the exercises thatcan be done with these weights.

After performing the desired number of repetitions of a given exercisethe user can quickly and easily remove the weight by loosening the wingnuts 16 and sliding their foot back off of the flat upper surface. Theuser can then attach the weight to their other foot or attach adifferent weight to the same foot and continue exercising, or they canleave the weights off and do some upper body exercises with no weightsattached to their feet. The shoes and sandals that work with theseweights will not interfere in any way with pushups, sit ups, or almostany other exercise. The wing nuts 16 never need to be removed from thethreaded posts 14, only loosened enough to provide clearance out of theconcavities 92.

The distance between the threaded posts 14 can vary according to thesize of the shoe 60 a or sandal 61 or 62 that is being used since theshoe or sandal needs to fit between the threaded posts 14, but thedistance between the posts 14 should be limited to only a few sizes tomatch a few sizes of tab assembly 90 so that retailers don't have tostock different weights for every shoe size and weights can be shared bydifferent members of a household and kept when the user's shoe sizechanges. The weights and weight holding devices of this invention canalso be made in a way that allows for adjustment of the distance betweenthe threaded posts.

The weight 12 has threaded holes 18 in the ends to accept the threadedends 22 of the weight bars 20 if the user wants to add more weight. Theweight bars 20 are of a standard diameter to accept ordinary barbellweights available at most sporting goods stores. The weight 12 can beused with or without the weight bars 20 in place. Of course weights canbe made without the threaded holes.

FIG. 2 shows the weight 12 with the weight bars 20 screwed into thethreaded holes 18 and ordinary barbell weights 68 added to the weightbars. The barbell weights 68 are held in place by weight collars 70 thatare available at most sporting goods stores.

It should be noted that the barbell weights 68 in this setup also servethe function of wheels which make it easier for the user to move to &from a chair when the weight 12 is attached. Additionally somelightweight wheels could be permanently affixed to the weight or couldbe sold with the weight to facilitate moving around when the userdoesn't want to add ordinary barbell weights.

FIG. 3 shows the weight 12 with two boat shaped weights 24 and 26 thatcan be added and held in place by the weight bars 20. The boat shapedweights 24 and 26 have smooth holes 28 on each end for the weight bars20.

FIG. 4 shows the weight 12 inside of the medium boat shaped weight 24inside of the large boat shaped weight 26 all held together by theweight bars 20. Adding weights this way leaves more room on the weightbars 20 for ordinary barbell weights. There are many other ways thatweight can be added to the basic weight 12 too numerous to detail.

A second embodiment of this invention is the weight holding device 34 ashown in FIG. 5. The weight holding device 34 a is not necessarily aweight in its own right but it can be made as heavy as one desires.

It consists of a 1″ diameter bar 32 that is fitted with a platform 30and two threaded posts 14 and two wing nuts 16. The approximatedimensions of the platform 30 are 7″ in width, 2.5″ front to back, andabout 0.25″ in thickness, although the thickness is only for strengthand can vary according to the material it is made of. The distancebetween the threaded posts 14 can vary according to the size of the shoe60 a or sandal 61 or 62 that is being used since the shoe or sandalneeds to fit between the threaded posts 14, but the platform 30 and thedistance between the posts 14 should be limited to a few sizes for thesame reasons mentioned in paragraph above. The platform 30 also acts asa weight collar and prevents the weights 68 from moving any closer tothe user's shoe or sandal and maintains space for the user's fingers tooperate the wing nuts 16. The bar 32 is of a standard diameter foraccepting normal barbell weights that are available at most sportinggoods stores.

FIG. 6 shows the weight holding device of FIG. 5 with normal barbellweights 68 added to the bar 32. The weights 68 are held onto the bar 32with ordinary weight clamps 70 which are also available at most sportinggoods stores. The user of this invention would ideally have severalweights or several of these weight holding devices 34 a with a differentamount of weight on each to completely obviate the need for fumblingwith the barbell weights 68, but the invention is still very valuablefor picking up and putting down the weight even if the user only hasone.

FIGS. 7, 8, and 9 show a top view and side views of a weight holdingdevice 34 b that replaces the threaded posts 14 and wing nuts 16 withsmooth posts 50 and locking clamps 36. FIG. 7 is shown without thelocking nuts 46.

The locking clamps 36 work in the same way as Visegrip® locking pliersand use most of the same components. With the locking clamps open as isshown in FIG. 8, the shoe 60 a or sandal 61 or 62 is slid onto theplatform 30 so that the notches 94 in the tabs 96L & 96R accept thesmooth posts 50. With the concavities 92 mostly encircling the smoothposts 50 and directly under the plungers 42, the user locks the lockingclamps 36 down onto the tabs 96L & 96R by pushing down on the thumblevers 40 which causes the plungers 42 to go down into the concavities92. FIG. 9 shows the locking clamp 36 in the position for holding downon a tab 96L. When the user wants to release the clamps they can simplypull up on the thumb levers 40.

The locking clamps 36 can be adjusted by means of the threaded rods 44.With the locking clamps 36 open as in FIG. 8 the user can slide the shoeor sandal into position and depress the thumb levers 40. If the userdetermines that a clamp is too tight or too loose they can release theclamp and then twist the threaded rod 44 and close the clamp again. Whenthe desired tightness is achieved the user should tighten the lockingnut 46 which will hold the threaded rod 44 in place. Clamps of this typeare available from Good Hand Inc., 7141 Paramount Blvd., Pico Rivera,Ca. 90660.

FIG. 10 shows a cross sectional view of the threaded rod 44 and plunger42 from the locking clamp 36. This view shows the hole 48 which acceptsthe smooth post 50 when the plunger 42 goes down into the concavity 92.The smooth post 50 prevents the plunger 42 from moving on a horizontalplane and makes sure the plunger 42 goes in exactly the right place.

The hole 48 has to be deep enough to keep the smooth post 50 fromhitting the top of the hole 48 because that would prevent the plunger 42from fully descending into the concavity 92. There should always be someair space above the smooth post 50 when the locking clamp 36 is closed.

FIGS. 11A and B show a perspective view and an end view of a weightholding device 34 c which is designed for use with the shoe 60 c shownin FIG. 12. The user wearing the shoe 60 c engages the weight holdingdevice 34 c by stepping down on it so that the pegs 59 are forcedthrough the latches 54. The latches 54 have a spring and closeautomatically to hold the pegs 59 in place. The spacers 58 contact thesides of the latch mechanisms 52L & 52R to prevent any lateral movementby the shoe 60 c. The distance filled by the spacers 58 should remainconstant over several shoe sizes for the reasons discussed in paragraphabove. When the user of this embodiment of the invention wants torelease the shoe 60 c from the latch mechanisms they only have todepress the latch levers 56L & 56R and the latches 54 will move out ofthe way.

FIGS. 13A & 13B show a perspective & a top view of a tab assembly 90that can be installed in the sole of a shoe or can be an integral partof the sole of a sandal so the shoe or sandal can be attached to theweights & weight holding devices of this invention.

A similar assembly that has pegs 59 instead of tabs 96L & 96R is used tomake the shoe 60 c in FIG. 12 and can also be used to make sandals withpegs.

FIG. 14 shows a weight lifting sandal 61 which has the tab assembly 90integrally installed in its sole. The sandal has an adjustable heel yoke150 and straps 154,156, and 158 so that it can be strapped to the user'snormally shod foot. FIGS. 16A & B and FIGS. 18B & C show a similarsandal 62 correctly strapped to the user's shod foot and the weightholding devices of this invention correctly attached to the sandals.

FIGS. 15A & B show a front and perspective view of a shoe 60 a that hasa tab assembly 90 installed in its sole. The shoe 60 a has a strap 82 tomake it fit the user's foot and a shoe lace 84 so that the tightnessaround the top edge of the shoe can be adjusted independently of thetightness of the rest of the shoe. FIGS. 17 and 18A show the shoe on auser's foot and the weight holding device of this invention correctlyattached to the shoe.

FIGS. 16A & B and FIG. 17 show weight holding devices of this inventioncorrectly attached to footwear that is designed to work with them.

FIGS. 18A-C show a person doing various exercises with the weightholding devices of this invention.

Accordingly the reader will see that the weights and weight holdingdevices and the various hardware of this invention will provide a methodof lower body exercises that is effective, safe, easy to operate, lowcost, and can be used and kept easily in a small room or apartment.

Although the description above contains many specificities, exactdescriptions of the hardware used to attach the weights and weightholding devices to the shoes or sandals may be innumerable, includinghardware on the weights that attaches to hardware that is recessed intothe sides or the bottom of a shoe's sole. Examples shown should not beconstrued as limiting the scope of this invention but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention.

REFERENCE NUMERALS USED IN DRAWINGS  12 weight  14 threaded post  16wing nut  18 threaded hole  20 short weight bar  22 threaded end  24medium boat shaped weight  26 large boat shaped weight  28 smooth hole 30 platform  32 bar  34a weight holding device with wing nuts  34bweight holding device with locking clamps  34c weight holding devicewith latch mechanism  36 locking clamp  40 thumb lever  42 plunger  44threaded rod  46 locking nut  48 hole  50 smooth post  52L left latchmechanism  52R right latch mechanism  54 latch  56L left latch lever 56R right latch lever  58 spacer  59 peg  60a shoe with tabs  60c shoewith pegs  61 short sandal  62 full footprint sandal  67 thin rubberlaminate  68 barbell weight  70 weight clamp  82 shoe strap  84 shoelace 90 tab assembly  92 concavity  94 slot  96L left tab  96R right tab 150heel yoke 154 long strap 156 medium strap 158 toe strap 170 buckle 172non-slip surface

1. a weight having a substantially flat upper surface for receiving the bottom of a shoe or sandal, said weight further consisting of hardware that is designed to attach to corresponding parts on the shoe or sandal, wherein said corresponding parts are designed to attach to such hardware a. whereby a person can quickly and easily secure and remove said weight to and from their foot, b. whereby said person can perform a variety of leg exercises by lifting said weight and can quickly and easily move from one exercise to another.
 2. the weight of claim 1 further consisting of a means for attaching additional weight to it.
 3. the weight of claim 2 wherein said means is a bar of a standard diameter to accept ordinary barbell weights available at most sporting goods stores.
 4. the weight of claim 2 wherein said means is detachable.
 5. a weight holding device consisting of a. a means for having weights affixed to it, b. a substantially flat upper surface for receiving the bottom of a shoe or sandal, c. hardware that is designed to attach to corresponding parts on said shoe or sandal, wherein said corresponding parts are designed to attach to such hardware i. whereby a person can quickly and easily secure and remove said weight holding device to and from their foot, ii. whereby said person can perform a variety of leg exercises by lifting said weights and can quickly and easily move from one exercise to another.
 6. the weight holding device of claim 5 wherein said means is a bar of a standard diameter to accept ordinary barbell weights available at most sporting goods stores. 